The Associated Press
MOOSIC, Pa. (AP) - A woman who held her husband hostage was found to have a collection of more than 60 guns, 5,000 rounds of ammunition, Russian night-vision goggles and other items, authorities said.
Sandra Petriello, 50, of Moosic, held her husband, Joseph Petriello Sr., hostage on Monday night while she was armed with an M-16 assault rifle and a stun gun, police said.
And after police resolved the situation, they said they entered the home and were shocked at the large stash of firepower they found.
“Some of these weapons I’ve never even seen before,” Moosic Police Chief Charles Mauer said. “I can’t imagine what she’d want to do with all this stuff.”
Police said the collection included assault rifles, high-powered scopes, guns equipped with lasers and hollow-point bullets.
An officer on patrol walked in front of the Petriello’s home on Monday and saw Sandra Petriello out front, holding a rifle and a stun gun, which she turned on and off while hitting her shrubs, according to authorities.
Police said the woman then threatened the officer’s life.
Additional police then arrived on the scene.
Police said they then saw Joseph Petriello standing in a window with his hands in the air. When officers asked him to leave through the front door, he said he couldn’t because his wife was holding the stun gun to him, authorities said.
An officer then started to talk with Sandra Petriello and eventually she let her husband leave, police said.
Police eventually grabbed her arms and arrested her.
Joseph Petriello told police his wife spent over $100,000 on weapons. He said he wanted the guns out of the home because he was worried she would kill someone.
Police arrested Sandra Petriello and she was put in the Lackawanna County Prison on $100,000 bail on numerous felony and misdemeanor charges.